Zoltan Gera retires from Hungary

Fulham midfielder Zoltan Gera has announced his retirement from the Hungarian national team after being snubbed by coach Erwin Koeman for the World Cup qualifier against Denmark.

The 30-year-old was controversially stripped of the captaincy recently and it would seem the latest snub for the game against Denmark was the overriding factor in his decision to bring an end to his international career. “I have told Erwin Koeman that I don’t consider myself as a member of the squad anymore,” Gera told reporters.

“In the past months I felt it several times that the national coach doesn’t really believe in me and there were many things that were undeserving with me.

“I did my best and I accepted when my captain belt was taken away from me and I had to sit on the bench. I tried to prove my abilities with extra resolve.”

“The coach told me on Wednesday that I wouldn’t play against Denmark. This time I decided to tell him my decision and added that I didn’t want to bother the team in the evening with my presence,” he added.

However, Gera who first made his debut with the Magical Magyars in 2002 and was named skipper way back in 2004, has not ruled out a return to the international fold. “I don’t say that the decision will last until the end of my career because it can happen in the far future that my name will be in the national team again – but it can also happen that I’ll never play again,” he affirmed.